


Homemade

by fulminata



Category: Tennis no Oujisama | Prince of Tennis
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-14
Updated: 2018-02-14
Packaged: 2019-03-18 11:06:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,853
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13680441
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fulminata/pseuds/fulminata
Summary: Niou thinks chocolate is necessary for matchmaking.





	Homemade

**Author's Note:**

  * For [MathiasHyde](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MathiasHyde/gifts).



Every year was the same. Yagyuu's locker would be filled to the brim with chocolates given to him by a variety of admirers. At least he had always been nice enough to share with Niou while going through and deciding which ones he would give a 'thank you' to on White Day.

"You know," Niou started, as Yukimura was watching Kirihara and Sanada play a match, "I was thinking about making chocolates for Yagyuu."

"Hmm," Yukimura said in response. "That's nice."

"I know, right? Do you think he's a dark chocolate kind of guy or something more... exciting, like having nuts or fruit in milk chocolate?"

"You would know better than me."

"What's Sanada like?" Niou asked. "Yagyuu might not want to admit it, but him and fukubuchou are kind of similar."

Yukimura turned to look at him. "What makes you think I know what kind of chocolates Sanada likes?"

"You've known him forever," Niou replied. "And I mean _forever_. Do you remember any part of your life without that large, perpetually grumpy person in it?"

There was silence for a moment before Yukimura finally answered with "Dark. Occasionally with almonds or walnuts."

Niou smirked. "I knew it."

"I won't be making him chocolates for White Day."

"You should! We can make them together."

"Wouldn't that insinuate I like him?"

"Who cares?"

"A certain large, perpetually grumpy person."

Niou opened his mouth, then closed it, thinking. "Wait a minute. _Do_ you like him?"

"We're friends," Yukimura said simply, then clapped his hands once. "Akaya, court C with Marui. Sanada, stay put. Niou, you're up."

\--

Niou followed Sanada and Yukimura until the two parted, then continued after the latter. 

"You might as well catch up with me. Sanada's out of earshot."

With a look of disappointment, Niou jogged to walk alongside Yukimura. "When did you know?"

"Sanada pointed it out a few blocks after we left school. What do you want?"

"He ruins everything. Why do you keep him around?"

"Simple. He's very good at tennis. Also, you didn't answer my question."

Niou shoved his hands in his pockets and let out a low whistle. "I think you should make him chocolates."

Yukimura raised an eyebrow. "Are you attempting to play matchmaker with us, knowing we don't have romantic feelings towards one another?"

"See, that's the thing. I think you do, but are too chicken to do anything about it."

"And you're making chocolates for Yagyuu, why exactly?"

"This isn't about me," Niou said hastily.

"Oh, but it is. You started this whole thing with asking what Yagyuu likes. I know about your tennis skills, or lack thereof, not who likes what kind of chocolate."

"Rude. I do not lack skill."

Yukimura hummed thoughtfully. "No, but occasionally you lack conviction and that is almost worse."

"That hurts."

"Then work on it," he said, coming up to the walkway near his front door. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"It's okay if you like him," Niou said, leaning against one of the tall shrubs that acted as a fence to Yukimura's house. "I don't judge."

Yukimura laughed. "You judge everyone and everything all of the time. Good night, Niou."

He lingered a moment, thinking Yukimura would maybe invite him in, but as the door closed with a soft click, Niou turned and went home, annoyed.

\--

"I need to make chocolate," Niou told Marui as they were changing into their uniforms and after Yagyuu had already left the clubhouse.

"Why?"

"Don't ask questions. What ingredients should I get?"

Marui pulled on his jersey then blew a large bubble, popping it as he thought. "I guess it depends. Cocoa powder, butter, sugar, salt, milk or cream and some water for the base and then if you're adding stuff to it, those things. Like dried fruits or nuts. Oh man, I should ask Jackal to make some cherry almond dark chocolate with me. He's super good at cutting up stuff really fine so you get more of the flavors per bite."

Niou nodded, adding the items to a mental list. 

"I can send you a recipe if you want. For the base stuff. You're on your own for the fancy stuff. I don't have time to walk you through that."

"Yes, send the recipe. I'll do your maths homework for a week."

Marui laughed. "I don't need your help in maths. I'll think about it and let you know what you can do for me," he said and left the clubhouse.

"Will you be adding fruit or nuts to your homemade chocolates?" Yukimura asked.

The question caused Niou to jump slightly. "Sneaky, buchou, eavesdropping like that. And I haven't decided yet."

"Interesting. I heard he liked chocolate and orange."

Niou's back straightened. "From where?" 

Yukimura just smiled. "If you aren't out of here in the next minute, you'll be running laps the entire practice."

\--

Chocolate and orange? Niou thought that sounded disgusting, but liking that sort of thing was right up Yagyuu's alley. So gross. He preferred a mix, himself, minus the fruit flavored ones which, now that he considered Yukimura's tip, he had always given to Yagyuu who ate them. Niou figured he was just being nice.

"Having a nice nap?"

"Not napping," Niou replied, propping himself up onto his elbows. Yukimura came into view, watering can at his side. He looked past the other teen to see if anyone else had joined him. Thankfully, they were alone. "Come to reconsider my offer?"

Yukimura sat down at the other end of the bench. "I told my sister your idea. She thinks you're right."

"I always knew I liked her."

"You're both wrong though."

"I really don't think I am, but you may continue in your denial." Niou decided to sit up. If they were going to have a serious conversation, he needed to pay attention to physical clues, not just the verbal ones.

"Everyone knows Sanada and his family are traditional. Even _if_ I did like him, it could never happen and even _if_ Sanada were inclined in that direction, he would never give up his family for me." 

Yukimura didn't sound wistful or sad, merely rational. "Let me guess, Sanada is the only one that knows your inclinations and you've already discussed all this with him."

"No and no. We're close friends, but I don't tell him everything. It might shatter the image he has of me and I can't have that." He ended with a laugh. "Between you and me, I don't really care one way or the other. It's shallow, but as long as they're attractive and have a good personality, I'm fine."

"And?"

"And what?"

"Based on that criteria, do you like Sa--"

"Enough." Yukimura's tone brooked no argument. "Lunch is almost over. Finish up your lounging."

\--

"What did you do?" Yagyuu whispered to him as they made their way to court B for a match against Yanagi and Kirihara.

"No idea what you're talking about."

"You know exactly what I'm talking about, Niou-kun," Yagyuu said harshly. "Yukimura has been on a tear all afternoon."

"What makes you think this is my fault?"

"Rough or smooth?" Yanagi asked.

"Smooth," Niou called out. He turned back to Yagyuu. "We had a short conversation. No big deal."

"Rough!" Kirihara shouted. "We're going to serve."

Niou rolled his eyes, but took his place at the back of the court. 

"It _is_ a big deal," Yagyuu told him as they were switching sides.

"Us being down two-love is more of a big deal than Yukimura's temper tantrum."

"If you two aren't going to pay attention," Sanada stated as he walked past them, "you might as well go run twenty laps."

Niou watched Yagyuu get in position near the net. "We'll keep playing. Thanks though," he said, adding a wave at the end. They ended up having to run laps anyway, for losing six-two.

"Niou-kun."

"I don't appreciate your accusative tone," Niou said, bending over to catch his breath.

"It's clear as day you've done something."

"You say that like you know me."

"I do."

Niou stood and stretched his arms behind his back. "I may have asked him about his feelings towards someone."

"Pestered, more like," Yagyuu said. "You should apologize."

"Absolutely not. I didn't do anything wrong. I'm just trying to bring people together in this messed up world we live in. Why is that so bad?"

Yagyuu gave him a look at Niou could only classify as more than mildly annoyed. "You are a failure at relationships, Niou-kun."

"That's not true. We've been in one for _years_."

"Caveat. Failure at _romantic_ relationships."

"Exactly. I'm bad at them, which means I can give great advice to others because I've been there. I know what it's like to be summarily rejected by your love or ignored constantly."

"Right," Yagyuu said tersely. "I need to leave otherwise I'll be late for piano. We'll talk tonight." He bowed and ran for the clubhouse.

"Idiot," Niou muttered under his breath and followed slowly behind.

\--

The sun was high, but there was a breeze and Niou had almost drifted off to sleep when something landed on his stomach. He flailed slightly, then composed himself. It was a candy mold with golf club shapes. 

"This some kind of peace offering for being an asshole to me for the past week?"

"More or less," Yukimura said with a shrug, sitting next to Niou on the bench.

"I guess I should apologize too even though--"

"Don't."

"Goodie. I didn't really want to."

Yukimura laughed at that which Niou took as a good sign. "Are you free Saturday?"

"Yeah. I mean, I was going to bother Yagyuu to play some mini-golf, but I don't have to."

"Come over to mine. We'll make chocolate."

"What?"

"I won't repeat myself."

Niou blinked at him, dumbfounded. "Sure. Okay. Sounds good."

Yukimura nodded and pushed himself off the bench. "You have about fifteen minutes left. Enjoy your nap."

\--

That Saturday saw Niou carrying a large tote bag of all the ingredients Marui told him to buy along with a hastily shoved-in recipe. His brother has asked what he was planning to do with all that stuff, but Niou just told him to go away. It was embarrassing enough without his little brother asking questions. Yukimura was standing in the doorway when he walked up the path to his house.

"My sister saw you coming," he said before Niou could even get the question out. "She's about to leave and my parents are gone, so we'll have the kitchen uninterrupted."

"You going to tell me who you're going to make chocolates for?"

"No."

"Fine fine, I'll stop asking."

"I'd appreciate that," Yukimura said, stepping out of the way so Niou could come in. "My mom bought some things too just in case there wasn't enough."

"She's lovely. Tell her I said thank you."

Yukimura led him to the kitchen and Niou set the stuff down on the counter, carefully unpacking everything and smoothing out the recipe. 

"It's Marui's," Niou said as Yukimura looked it over. "If it's not good, I'm going to kick his ass."

"You'll do it before May, then. I won't have anyone on our team injured during the season if I can help it."

"That's cool. I accept that stipulation."

There was little talking as Niou concentrated on the chocolate and Yukimura finely chopped up almonds and then zested an orange.

"Yagyuu, really?" Yukimura asked after Niou finished pouring the orange-flavored chocolate into the gold club mold.

"What of it?"

Yukimura shrugged. "I didn't think you liked the quiet, asshole-ish types."

"Language!" Niou said sarcastically. "Yeah, he's an asshole, but he's my asshole and I get along with him quite well despite that annoying personality of his. Plus, he can be nice on occasion. Like, for my birthday he got me this weird pentagon-shaped Rubik's cube. He gave it to me already messed up and I still haven't solved the thing. I love it though. Good stress relief after a long day of being run into the ground by drill sergeants."

"I'll take that as a compliment," Yukimura said. He leaned back against the counter and crossed his arms. "Are you going to write a sappy poem asking him out too?"

"Good gods, no! What kind of man do you take me for?"

"So 'mini golf yes/yes?'"

Niou narrowed his eyes. "Sometimes I hate you."

Yukimura chuckled. "I get that a lot. It's my turn now."

A hour later there were twenty-four perfectly round almond-coated chocolate truffles chilling in the refrigerator.

"Which one of your many admirers get those?" Niou asked, carefully popping the chocolate out of the mold and trimming the edges.

"I don't know. I may decide just to eat them myself."

"I'll find out on White Day."

Yukimura shrugged then looked over Niou's shoulder. "Those look good. Yagyuu may even be impressed."

"I should think so," Niou said, carefully sticking them in a container with some parchment paper. "I put a lot of effort into these."

"Next time, use that effort for tennis."

Niou stared at him for a long moment. "You wound me, buchou."

\--

On White Day, Niou broke into Yagyuu's locker and placed the chocolates inside. Thankfully, Yagyuu was busy with the morale committee meeting and would be busy for at least the next hour, especially if discussion of Sanada's hat came up.

He eventually found Yukimura sitting on top of the clubhouse roof, probably having used the way Niou thought only he knew about. The truffles were sitting in his lap.

"Decided to keep them for yourself?"

"No. Haven't talked to the person yet today."

"Interesting," Niou said, sitting down. "They going to come this way?"

"Maybe, maybe not." Yukimura opened the cellophane bag and pulled one out, passing it over to Niou. "Try it."

"Will it kill me?"

"You were there when I made them. Also, why would I want to kill the person I like?"

"So no one else can have them," Niou said easily. 

There was silence for a moment before Yukimura laughed and said, "that's not a bad idea."

"I was kidding!" Niou exclaimed. "Don't do that. You'd have to give up tennis because you'd be in jail."

"Just eat the truffle."

Niou took a bite. "Crunchy," he said. "Good though. Not bad for your first try."

"Good. That's good," Yukimura said softly.

"Are you actually nervous?"

"Of course not. Shouldn't you be?"

Oh hell. Niou had almost completely forgotten about the chocolates sitting in Yagyuu's locker. The meeting was likely over by now. Yagyuu would stop at his locker before coming to the clubhouse and bring the chocolates with him, curious.

"Can I go home? I'm not feeling great."

"No."

"You suck."

"You'll survive," Yukimura said, reaching into the bag to pull a few more truffles out. "Help me toss these at the others."

"What?"

"You heard me."

Niou watched as Yukimura tossed one, hitting Marui in the middle of the forehead.

"JACKAL. THERE IS CANDY FALLING FROM THE SKY. BEST DAY EVER."

"Bunta... I don't really--" 

_Thunk._ Niou's had hit Kuwahara in the chest.

"I TOLD YOU SO."

"What the hell are you shouting about?" Sanada asked.

Niou watched as Marui showed him the two truffles. He could tell by the way Sanada squared his shoulders that he wasn't buying it. Then Yukimura moved next to him and threw a few at Sanada. One hit the back of his head, then his shoulder, and finally the middle of his back.

"I'm not wrong, fukubuchou," Niou overheard Marui say. "Candy. From the skies."

"There is no way that is possible," came Yagyuu's voice. Niou leaned forward enough to see Yagyuu holding the container of chocolates.

"But it is."

Niou tossed one of the truffles at Yagyuu, missing him by only a few inches.

"Niou-kun," Yagyuu called. "Come down from there, we have practice."

Sanada turned around and looked up. Yukimura had moved closer to the edge, dangling his legs off the ledge.

"Catch," he said, tossing the now half-empty bag of truffles down. 

"I knew it!" Niou said triumphantly. 

Yukimura looked unfazed by Niou's little victory. "Fifty laps if you aren't on the ground in less than a minute."

"Tell me I was right and I'll run all the laps you want."

"Go."

"Fine," he said, and climbed down, Yagyuu standing next to the spot where Niou landed.

"Thank you," Yagyuu told him. "I ate one on the way here. They are very good. Just the right amount of orange."

Niou burst into a grin. 

"Oh, and here is your note." Yagyuu passed over a folded piece of paper. "Yanagi said we're on court A, so do hurry up."

He walked away and Niou waited until he had turned the corner before opening it. A neat oval surrounded the first 'yes'. 

"Told you so," Yukimura said smugly from behind him. 

Niou hastily shoved the paper into his pocket. "Oh, go make out with Sanada and leave me alone."

"I may just do that," Yukimura said with a smile and started for the clubhouse, waving his hand for Niou to follow. "Let's go. You're playing Sanada and I."


End file.
